Australian man turns Santa, gives away belongings

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian man has embraced the spirit of the season, taking on the role of a real-life Santa and giving away his possessions as gifts for the second Christmas in a row.

Last Christmas, Dennis Stevenson opened his home and gave away all his belongings. This year, he opened a makeshift shop in the Gold Coast in Queensland to again distribute seasonal cheer and invited others to donate as well.

"It's a lovely thing to do to continue the spirit of Christmas" Stevenson told Reuters on Thursday.

Stevenson opened The Spirit of Christmas shop on December 22 and says that 90 percent of his goods had been taken.

On Christmas eve the shop was "absolutely packed" with last minute gifts, said Stevenson.